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Potaro Saga (The Survivor)
''The Potaro Saga ''was the first saga of Dragon Ball Z: The Survivor. It follows the events from Potaro's birth to the destruction of Planet Vegeta. Part 1: His Maculate Conception 'Birth of a Saiyan' King Vegeta sat in his ornate throne, staring out a small, concealed window, thinking. His best lieutenant's, Terrax, wife had recently gotten pregnant. The King had taken an interest in this development only because he could think how powerful this child would be. The few children born of the Saiyan military almost always grew up to become rather strong. This brought his thoughts to his own son, currently on a mission to the planet Polydora, who had recently sent him a message detailing the current events. His son was truly, he believed, on the path to becoming a Super Saiyan. He felt a surge of pride, but it was quickly derailed as an attendant stormed into the room. "My lord!" he cried. King Vegeta glanced at him, then returned his thoughts to the window outside. "Terrax's son has been born... sire," the attendant finished, looking nervously up at him. The King yawned, then turned his gaze towards the attendant. "Well? How strong is he?" he asked. The attendant squirmed again, then responded. "His power level is currently at 8,000, sire, though Terrax claims it will rise when he is used to the outside world. I agree with him." So the new Saiyan was strong. King Vegeta's theory had been proven. Not as strong as Broly, but stronger than Kakarot, and surely than Raditz. "Bring Terrax and the child to me," he said, "I wish to talk to him in... private." The attendant nodded, then darted from the room. Those fools! My son shall become a Super Saiyan, if it's the last thing I do, thought the king, but first things first. Time to deal with Terrax and his son. ---- Not too long after the attendant left, the doors to the Grand Hall swung open, and a smartly-dressed Saiyan strode through, his boots clip-clopping on the floor. He had a head of black hair, with a reddish-tinged beard. In his arms lay a small boy, already with a crop of black hair. "My lord," Terrax, the man, said, bowing. King Vegeta acknowledged him with a nod and activated his scouter, reading the boy's power level. It had indeed rose from the level the attendant had claimed. Well, all the better, a new soldier was just what they needed. "Have you named him?" the king asked. Terrax stood up, his face beaming with pride, and nodded. "Well, then, tell me," the king said, impatient. "His name," said Terrax, "shall be Potaro." King Vegeta nodded. Lucky One. ''Was there a reason why Terrax had chosen that name for his son? Was the name a message to King Vegeta? Or was he being paranoid, filled with years of political paranoia? "It's a good name," he replied, hoping to show approval, "when will he begin training for the war effort? Every soldier counts." "If it pleases your Majesty," Terrax said, "but I wish to raise and train him myself. I know it is against protocol, but I believe I can teach him several tricks." It was against protocol, but King Vegeta was intrigued. To have his best fighter train a boy with an already astounding power level? It reeked of hidden decisions and plans, but the king could have used some freshness. He smiled. "Indeed, you may train young Potaro. May you teach him well." And with that, the king looked out the window again, a signal of dismissal. Terrax stood, nodded his thanks, and then walked outside, holding his baby. "Come, son," he said, looking down at the sleeping form, "let us being your training." And with that, the young Saiyan known as Potaro began his journey to greatness. 'A Surprise Assignment' The morning sunlight flew through the early Planet Vegeta air, and struck a small dormitory in the Saiyan Military Academy (SMA), one of the most prestigious fighting schools in the planet. Ironically, this was also the sight of Terrax's work, and where his young son spent most of his time. Inside the dormitory, the sunlight struck the eyes of a young boy who was snoring away in a small cot, surrounded by other similarly dressed youths. Potaro groaned, and waved his hand feebly at the sunlight that was attacking his eyes. When that failed, he gave up and pulled himself out of bed, dressing quickly in the Saiyan training gear he was required to wear. Following this change, Potaro strode up the door, and quietly, so as not to distrub his roommates, slid out of the room. He was standing now in the Grand Hallway, which comprised of a long stretch of doors, each containing a small dorm, and at the end, the door to the dining hall. Potaro began walking calmly down the stretch, heading toward the dining hall. It was only a few minutes since he woke, and already his stomach was clamoring for food. His father was strangely absent, though Potaro had a suspicion as to why. A small probe had been found on the planet, and King Vegeta had ordered the realm's best warriors to investigate. Only that evening a small ship had landed, bearing with it a group of strange beings. Potaro was pretty sure that his father had been one of the warriors sent to investigate, but until he saw him again, the boy could only guess. He had arrived at the dining hall, and paused before the door again, gathering himself, putting on the Saiyan personality that he had cultivated from a young age. When he walked in, there were only a few young Saiyans around. Potaro quickly gained his breakfast, a large assortment of food, and made his way towards the only person he recognized. The boy was about his age, with rather long, stick-up black hair, and a haughty aura about him. Potaro quickly pulled up his file on the scouter: Prince Vegeta. "Hi," Potaro said, sitting down across form him. Vegeta didn't look up, too busy stuffing himself with a large assortment of food, even for a Saiyan. Potaro looked at him for a minute, and then turned himself to his own meal. He was just finishing a mountain of waffles when more footsteps headed toward the table, followed by the other Saiyans. A rather tall, hulking one walked over as well, and sat down beside the Prince. A slightly shorter one with spiky hair sat down as well. They looked at Potaro like he had just crawled out of a mud pit. The boy looked at them, shrugged, and got back to his food. "Hey," one said. He looked up. It was the third one. Potaro's scouter quickly identified him: Raditz. "You look like the son of the general," Raditz continued. Potaro paused to nod and kept on eating. Raditz whispered something to the hulking one (whom the scouter identified as Nappa), and turned back to his food. Nappa chuckled, and continued eating. The Prince, however, took no part in this, too busy stuffing himself. Finally, Potaro finished, and stood up. Raditz stood up, focused on Potaro. "Do you want an assignment?" he asked. Potaro froze, then, slowly nodded. "What would it be?" he asked. "Oh, it's simple," Raditz said, "a fellow student got himself lost. We were assigned to find him last night, but since we just got back from a big mission, we decided to pass it on." Potaro glared at them, suspiciously. He knew that they had just gotten back from a big mission. It had been all over the scouters last night, but what worried him was that they could easily pulverize him. "Where was he last seen?" Potaro asked, hoping to stall for time. "In the forest, south of here." Potaro nodded slowly, then walked away. Raditz sat down again and grinned at Nappa, who grunted. Vegeta finished his meal. "So," the Saiyan Prince asked, "what do you plan to do?" "Oh, nothing he can't handle," Raditz replied, "just have some giant crabs or something go after him. Nothing bad." Vegeta only looked at Potaro's back, heading into a trap. 'Cat and Mouse' 'It's official,' Potaro thought, walking throught the dark woods at night, 'I.. am... lost.' He hadn't been walking for that long, but in that short time, he had managed to completely lose his way. 'Well, some Saiyan I turned out to be,' he thought, but was then interrupted. A large, crashing noise came from the area to his right. Potaro turned, staring into the inky blackness. What was... oh, crap! A giant crab leaped out of the forest, crushing trees and leaving deep imprints on the ground. Potaro immediately took a step back and began running. But not to get away. As he thought, the crab immediately followed him, and he let it, putting on as much speed as he could. The crab kept following, he kept running. This eternal contest seemed to go on forever! Suddenly, he whipped around a tree, then leaped into the air, taking flight easily compared to his age. Hovering in the air, he looked down to see the crab round the bend, then look around, confused. 'Yeah, thought you would be,' he thought, 'but it's about to get a lot hotter in here.' He raised his hands, lifted them up, and then concentrated his ki. Slowly but surely, energy began sparking from the sky and shooting down to him, powering him up. The crab finally caught on and looked up, suprised. Potaro lowered his hands, crackling with energy. "Take this!" he yelled, and a large energy beam launched out of his hands, striking the crab and the area around it, vaporizing the area. When the smoke cleared, only a scorch mark told you that the crab had been there. Potaro hovered there, flushed with sucsess. And then some sharp blades sliced into his back. Potaro cried out, then was thrown violently to the floor, crashing to the cround. He looked up to see a Saiyan Eagle, a deadly airborne predator that hunted often, and had killed unwary Saiyans before. Just his luck. In order to distract it, Potaro raised his hand and let loose an energy blast. The Eagle dodged it, but that gave him all the time he needed. Darting toward a small patch of dirt, he quickly slammed his hands on it, then concentrated. Ki flowed from his body to the ground, and slowly, a figure began to rise from the dirt. Potaro grunted, energy draining out of him fast. Few Saiyans tried this maneuver, and the few that did had to rest for a while to get back in fighting shape. A golem, man of clay, rose out of the ground, then looked up. At Potaro's urging, it reached down, picked up a boulder, and hurled it with pinpoint accuracy at the Eagle. It slammed into the Eagle, breaking it's ribs and wings, and it plummeted towards the ground. Potaro relaxed, and the golem reverted to dirt, collapsing around him. The boy forced himself to stand up, and then began looking for a way out of the forest. ---- On a small cliff a little ways out, Raditz, Nappa, and Vegeta stood there, watching Potaro's progress through their scouters. "That was quite good," Vegeta said of the golem, "I don't think even I could have accomplished that." "And the boulder," Raditz contributed, "was a rather smart move." "Killing the crab was easy," Nappa commented. "Well," Vegeta finished, "I hope he has the strength to take down our next surprise. And with the wounds from the Eagle it shouldn't be easy." ---- Potaro cursed Raditz for the four-hundredth time. It was his fault that he had been sent on this wild goose chase, risked his life, and had huge gashes on his back. His boots were caked in mud, his hair was messed up, and the aches and pains pretty much dominated his nerves. He was not having a good time. And then the ground rumbled. "Now what?" he groaned, taking a step back. Normally he would welcome danger, but with the loss of energy because of the golem, he was in no shape to tackle anything else. The ground began to shred, dirt flying in all directions. A large, mole-like creature pulled itself out, looked at him. Potaro shook his head and turned around. Suddenly something struck his foot, and he flipped over. Before he could hit the ground, another blow struck his chest, sending him spiraling into a tree. The mole stood innocently, as hands made of mud and grit retracted into the ground. Potaro stood up, his back on fire. He launched an energy blast, which the hands deflected. Angry, Potaro leaped at the mole, but the hands rose up again, and blows where soon exchanged. Potaro landed blow after blow, and dirt went flying, but the hands just regenerated, and the fight resumed. Finally, Potaro leaped back, raised his hands, and brought them forward. A large energy beam soared between the outstretched hands and crashed into the mole. It let out a bellow, and then slowly sank beneath the ground. The hands dissipated. Potaro gasped, fighting for breath. That last energy blast had cost him a lot more than he thought he could take. But he just couldn't fall down and sleep here. He had to get back home, and maybe tell his father, before passing out. So, reluctantly, he turned around and began making his way back home. 'False Accusations' "Well," Terrax said, "what do you have to say for yourself, Potaro?" Potaro was standing in the center of a small circle. His father, Raditz, Nappa, Vegeta, and several other warriors made up the sphere. He shrugged. "I told you, Father," he said, "Raditz told me that there was a lost Saiyan in these woods. I went after him, but it was a trap. They were trying to kill me." "We weren't trying to kill you," Nappa sniffed, "maybe rough you up a bit-" he stopped as Vegeta elbowed him in the chest. Terrax glanced at them, then turned his attention back towards his son. "You leave me no choice," he finally said, "a trial by combat. Who will be your champion?" He had said this to the group of three. They quickly converesed, and finally, Vegeta stepped up. "I am ready," he said. Terrax nodded, then turned to Potaro. "The rules are simple," he began, still staring at his son, "Potaro, you will fight Vegeta in combat. There will be no fatalities. You will fight until you are too exhausted to continue. Is that simple?" Vegeta nodded. Potaro did as well. 'Not like I have much choice,' he thought. Terrax nodded, gave one last sympathetic smile towards his son, and then raised a hand. Part of the floor slid up, forming an arena of sorts. Large wood pikes surrounded it, keeping anyone from coming in. Potaro and Vegeta flew onto it, touching down gently. Potaro looked around, examining the arena. It was functional, but hardly ideal. The floor beneath him crawled with worms and filth. Suddenly a fist crashed against the side of his head, and he was thrown up. Suddenly the same fists slammed against his side, and he was sent to the floor. He pulled himself up, and quickly locked his hands in a blocking position as Vegeta launched several punches. He leaped backward, throwing energy orbs behind him. Vegeta easily blocked them and hurled himself up again. He and Potaro collided in midair, punches filling the air. Vegeta lashed out with a right hook, sending Potaro once again on the floor. This time, however, Potaro was ready. He quickly slammed his fist into the floor, then let his ki flow. As Vegeta touched down, he found his feet where stuck on the floor! "Wha-" he managed before Potaro changed the Ki flow, and fists shot out, slamming the Saiyan Prince into space. Potaro slammed into him, grabbing his hair with one hand and hitting him repeatedly with the other. Vegeta could only take it. They landed on separate ends of the stadium, the few present still trying to make sense of what had happened. "You're a good fighter," Vegeta said, "but not good enough!" He was suddenly upon Potaro, and they began to fight again, though this time Vegeta had the upper hand once more. He lunged out, fists ramming into Potaro repeatedly, until the boy was black and blue. In agony, Potaro raised his hands, and launched a large energy blast. Vegeta grabbed the end, and was slowly pushed back, fighting it. Potaro smiled, and launched a final volley before leaping into the air once more. While Vegeta was still recovering, he launched a large barrage of energy, which hit the Saiyan Prince and filled the air with smoke. Cutting off the barrage, Potaro raised his hands, and an enormous ball of energy formed there. With a primal yell, the boy threw it with all his might onto Vegeta. The explosion was incredible, blinding and beautiful at the same time. All spectators where pushed back, and Potaro was thrown up into the air, falling down with a "Ugh!" against the ground. Slowly, slowly, the dust cleared. And when the last had been blown away, Vegeta stood there, clothes in tatters, bleeding heavily. He breathed in, then walked foward. Potaro frantically scrambled to his feet, but he wasn't fast enough. Vegeta slammed into him, threw him in the air, and then hit him again. He gripped Potaro's hair and delivered a stunning blow to the boy's head. Stars exploded in front of him, and blackness swelled in... ---- "Ughh..." Potaro groaned, as consciousness returned. He looked around, seeing white. For a moment he thought Vegeta had killed him and he was in the afterlife. But then he realized he was in a field hospital. Terrax was beside him, looking down anxiously. When he saw that his son was alive, he leaned back. "That was... rather good, actually," he said, "the ground-bending, the barrage and then the big bang itself. It was genius. I'm surprised Vegeta was able to still be awake." "So... did I win?" Potaro said, still trying to make sense of what happened. His father sighed, leaned foward again. "Unfortunately, no," he said, "but since you fought so well, the Council agreed you must have been telling the truth. Raditz has been punished." Potaro sat up slowly. "What... happens now?" he asked. Terrax grinned. "Now," he said, "you get to meet the king." 'A Royal Audience' The doors to the Grand Hall swung open, and Potaro gulped inside. This was his first time meeting the king, and to tell the truth, he was sweating. Then again, who wouldn't be? "Now, remember," his father said, "do not speak unless spoken to. Do not, in any way, insult the king. Remember, anything you say can be traced back to me." Potaro nodded. His father didn't think he knew this? Every young Saiyan was "educated" in this manner, in case of a chance meeting with the king. He thought of what he knew of King Vegeta. He had been the one who led the conflict to take the planet from the Tuffles, and had killed their king. In honor of his victory, the Saiyans had renamed the planet after him. Quite a reputation to live up to, but Potaro still knew that with a word, the king would have him killed. And then his father prodded him on the back and he began moving. The hallway was deceptively large, filled with odd bits and pieces, most war memorabilia. Potaro glanced at it all with morbid fascination, genuinely interested. The king on his throne grew bigger in the distance, gradually but certainly. Once again Potaro gulped, knowing that his very future hung on this conversation. They reached the throne and stood still, the king just above them. For a moment, he was looking out a window, then he turned back towards Potaro and Terrax. "So," he said, his voice chilly, "this is the brat who thought he could best my son, Terrax?" "My lord," Terrax said quickly, "it was my idea. I thought in order to prove which one was telling the truth, they could have a test by combat-" "And you willingly put my son at risk?" King Vegeta leaned forward, hands gripping the sides of the throne, "May I remind you, General, that he will one day be the future ruler of all Saiyans?!" "No, sire," Terrax said, "I ordered that there would be no fatalities, not even injuries!" "THEN YOU DENY MY SON HIS SAIYAN PRIDE!" the king thundered, standing up. Lightning seemed to crackle between the two Saiyans, filling the room with a forbiding feeling. Potaro took a step back. King Vegeta seemed to calm down, sitting back on his throne. "Yet," he said,"you son fought well. I have rarely seen someone use their ki to control the environment around them. Most impressive." Terrax's arm on Potaro's shoulder suddenly grew tighter. He nearly flinched, but checked the motion. The king was still breathing hard. "I will let you live," the king said, "but at a cost. The boy must never return to the SMA again. You will train him yourself, Terrax. Teach him all you arts and make him stronger. Maybe one day, he and my son will achieve the rank of Super Saiyan." "Thank you, sire," Terrax said, bowing. Potaro bowed as well. King Vegeta huffed and turned once more the window, relaxing. "You may go now, my son," Terrax said, "I must stay and talk to the king. Go and pack you things." Potaro nodded, left the hall in a hurry. ---- Once the boy had left, Terrax looked back up at the king. "My lord," he began, "about this being they call Frieza..." "I will hear no more of him," the king said, "we are the Saiyans, the mightiest warriors in the Galaxy. No one can stand against us." "But my lord, if he is as powerful as they claim-" "Then I shall deal with him personally." Terrax paused again, wondering if he should press his point. King Vegeta glared down at him, and all he could do was nod and walk away. ---- Potaro stood at the edge of a small cliff, staring down at the place that had been his only home for as long as he could remember. His father put a hand on his shoulder, gently steered him away. And yet, Potaro resisted, wanting to get one last look at the place. "Come, my son," he said, "you must hurry. The king will not be pleased if we stay." Potaro nodded, and turned around, head low. His father smiled down at him. "Nothing happens without a reason, my son," he said, "we all have a destiny, and no one can possibly take that from you. No one." Potaro smiled, suddenly feeling as though he could become stronger, much stronger. And the journey had only just begun. Part Two: Frieza Rising ''Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into '' ''the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. -Matthew 4:1 - 'End of an Era' Coming Soon! Category:Fan Fiction Category:Dragon Ball Z The Survivor